Market Data
May 28, 2026
Metalformers expect stable market conditions to continue through the summer
Written by Kristen DiLandro
The May Business Conditions Report issued by the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) found metalforming manufacturers anticipate stable market conditions for the next three months.
Mark Getsay, PMA managing director, pointed to the strength of supply chains in the manufacturing sector.
“PMA members continue to demonstrate resilience despite supply-chain disruptions, tariffs, geopolitical uncertainty, and other global economic pressures,” said Getsay. “The data show that metalformers are continuing to adapt and meet customer demand in a highly dynamic environment.”
Shipping levels remained steady in May. The bulk of metalformers (47%) surveyed reported no changes in their average daily shipping levels, compared to April, when 34% reported consistency in shipping levels. Meanwhile, 45% of respondents saw an uptick in shipments, down from 51% in April. The remaining 8% reported a decrease, down from 15% last month.
Over the next three months, 64% of manufacturers surveyed expect no change in general economic activity. This is up from 59% in April. Bullishness waned in May, with 26% of respondents predicting an increase in activity for three months, a decrease from 30% of April’s respondents. The remaining 10% of respondents predict that activity over the period will drop, down from 11% in April.
Most (55%) metalformers expect the number of incoming orders to remain consistent for the three-month period. May’s figure is a jump from the 39% predicting no change in April. Those who expected orders to increase slipped to 35% compared to 46% last month. In May, 10% of respondents reported that they expect incoming orders to decrease, slightly more optimistic than the 15% in April.
The number of respondents with workers on short time or laid off in May decreased to 1% from 2% in April. And 48% of respondents reported expanding their current workforce, up from 44% in April. For the third consecutive month, respondents reported longer lead times.
The PMA report samples 84 metalforming companies in the United States and Canada to provide an economic indicator for the next three months of manufacturing.
